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Kailer Yamamoto, center, celebrates his first-period goal against Denmark with Brady Tkachuk, left, and Logan Brown. Getty Images

Looking to defend their IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championship title, the United States used a pair of first-period goals from Buffalo Sabres first-rounder Casey Mittelstadt on Tuesday to open the 2018 tournament in dominating fashion.

Squaring off with Denmark in the preliminary round of the world juniors, Team USA also got two goals from Western Hockey League prospect Kieffer Bellows to notch a 9-0 shutout.

Three goals in the first nine minutes of Tuesday's action set the tone for a 5-0 lead after one, and Boston College product Joseph Woll halted 17 shots to ensure Denmark's goose egg on the scoreboard. A laser from Patrick Harper all but sealed the deal even before the start of the third period, putting the United States up 7-0.

Tuesday's game in Buffalo marked the eighth straight win for the United States, the defending world champions, and coach Bob Motzko dating back to the beginning of last year's tourney. As Team USA seeks to win repeat gold medals for the first time in program history, let's take a deeper dive into their opening victory and what's up next:

Which NHL prospects came up big?

Mittelstadt is the big winner from USA's preliminary blowout of Denmark, and that's partially because his name has so often been associated with headlines from the NHL Combine, where he couldn't muster a single pull-up as a top prospect for the 2017 draft. He had enough hype as the eighth overall pick of the draft, the Buffalo Sabres' top choice, and he's got an Under-18 Men's World Championship medal under his belt, but lighting it up on the World Juniors stage certainly doesn't hurt his stock, especially since he's also on the University of Minnesota's 2017-18 roster.

Bellows, Team USA's other multi-goal scorer vs. Denmark, will also garner attention for his big night on the stat sheet. His impact went beyond the numbers, though. Slick puck work on a second-period penalty shot showed off some of his stuff -- skills that made him a 16th overall pick in 2016 and figure to keep him on scouting radars moving forward.

Forward Brady Tkachuk also warrants a mention. A top prospect for the 2018 NHL Draft, he's perhaps best known as the bigger, faster and "nastier" version of his brother, Calgary Flames youngster and 2016 World Juniors bronze medalist Matthew Tkachuk, and his behind-the-net setup work helped America go up 4-0 in Tuesday's bout.

Outside of Team USA, Czech forward Filip Zadina logged a pair of points in his team's victory, Sweden's Lias Andersson went off for two goals as he looks to break out of the SHL, and Canadian goalie and Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Carter Hart halted all but two of 31 shots against Finland.

What else happened in the preliminary round?

Team USA almost hit double digits in downing Denmark Tuesday, but here's how the rest of the opening World Juniors games unfolded:

  • Czech Republic went up 4-2 on Russia through two periods and hung on for a 5-4 victory
  • Belarus was routed by Sweden, managing just nine shots on goal in a 6-1 decision
  • Canada got four goals from four different players to top Finland, 4-2

What happens next in the World Juniors?

Team USA is slated to return to action on Thursday with game against Slovakia. That showdown will be broadcast at 8 p.m. on TSN and NHL Network.

The 2018 World Juniors preliminary round continues through Dec. 31 before relegation in January, which precedes the playoffs. Here's a complete rundown of the next wave of games through the end of the year:

Wednesday, Dec. 27

  • Belarus vs. Switzerland, 3 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN 1/3)
  • Canada vs. Slovakia, 7 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN 1/3/4)

Thursday, Dec. 28

  • Denmark vs. Finland, 12 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN 1/4)
  • Switzerland vs. Russia, 2 p.m. (TSN 3/5)
  • Czech Republic vs. Sweden, 4 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN 1/4)
  • Slovakia vs. United States, 8 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN 1/4/5)

Friday, Dec. 29

  • Russia vs. Belarus, 12 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN3)
  • United States vs. Canada, 3 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN)

Saturday, Dec. 30

  • Belarus vs. Czech Republic, 12 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN 1/4)
  • Switzerland vs. Sweden, 2 p.m. (TSN5)
  • Slovakia vs. Finland, 4 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN 1/4/5)
  • Canada vs. Denmark, 8 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN 1/4/5)

Sunday, Dec. 31

  • Czech Republic vs. Switzerland, 12 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN 1/3)
  • Finland vs. United States, 4 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN 1/3)
  • Denmark vs. Slovakia, 6 p.m. (TSN2)
  • Sweden vs. Russia, 8 p.m. (NHL Network, TSN 1/3)